In this context, US 2010/0052946 A1 discloses the fact that the search process may be recognized beforehand by means of a central server device, in that at regular intervals, position data and a corresponding time stamp are received from the motor vehicle. On the basis of this data, the server device retrieves in a digital map the driving route of the motor vehicle and recognizes, based thereon, whether the motor vehicle is moving with intent towards a destination or if the driver has performed a search for a parking opportunity. Based on the determined search phases of a plurality of motor vehicles, an average search time may be determined.
A drawback of this solution is that a broadband radio link is required in order to provide position data in the server device. If the radio connection breaks down, then information regarding the driving movements of the motor vehicle are missing, so that the server device is no longer able to analyze the pattern of driving movements. In order to observe a plurality of vehicles, the server device also needs a considerable computing power.
EP 1 070 635 A2 discloses a navigation method for providing a driver of a motor vehicle with navigation indications regarding a parking opportunity at a navigation destination. To this end, a parking availability management provides information regarding available parking places, from which a place near the navigation destination is selected and the motor vehicle is navigated towards the same. This method has the drawback that it may only work with already known parking places. This method cannot provide a driver with information regarding the expected time required for searching for a parking place within an unmanaged region.
DE 10 2005 027 250 A1 discloses a method for an automatic parking place search, which also allows a predictive recognition of parking places available in proximity of a destination which is indicated before starting the trip. The available parking places are automatically and autonomously determined directly after indicating the destination and may be retrieved, if desired, by the driver or displayed on a navigation display. This method too does only work if parking places are managed in a complicated way, in order to recognize free parking places and to display the same in a navigation device of the motor vehicle.